Electrically-heated radiator.



P. F. APF EL. ELECTRICALLY HEATED RADIATOR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 5, I915.

Patented Jan. 11, 1916. 5 29 W/ T N58858:

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PHILIP F. APFEL, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

ELECTRICALLY-HEATED RADIATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 11, 1916.

Application filed October 5, 1915. Serial No. 54,280.

V a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in electrically heated radiators of that class employed for heating rooms of a house, and the object of my improvements is to provide a radiatorcomprising a cast iron container I posed within said container.

having an exterior form that resembles that of steam radiators generally employed for like purposes and which shall embody a quantity of oil disposed therein in association with heating elements that are adapted to be heated by a current of electricity, together with circuit wires extending from said elements through a wall of said container to a source or" electricity exterior thereto; and a further object of my improvements is to provide such radiator with heating elements which under normal conditions of use shall be adapted to be heated to a comparatively high temperature in response to the floor of I an electric current therein without causing them to become oxidized or otherwise injured by such high temperature; and a still further object is to provide means which shall prevent a leakage of any of the oil dis- 1 accomplish these objects by devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a view of a radiator embodying my invention, showing a container in vertical horizontal mid-section and other parts in side elevation; Fig. 2 is a view of associated parts of the same in longitudinal mid-section; Fig. 3 is a view of such associated parts in cross-section on broken line :0, cc of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation of a modified form of some associated details of my invention, and Fig. 5 is another modified form of one of the details of the same.

Referring to the drawings, throughout which like reference numerals indicate like parts, 6 is a cast-iron container having a general exterior form like that of steam radiators commonly employed for warming a room of a building said container 6 having an upper chamber 7 and a lower chamber 8 each of cylindrical form and each of which extends from one end to the other end thereof, said chambers 7 and 8 being connected together by a plurality of vertically disposed integral pipes 9 arranged in pairs each of whose two members are disposed opposite each other to connect with opposite sides of the respective chambers 7 and 8 in a well known manner.

- Through both of the opposite end walls of each of the chambers 7 and 8 are screwthreaded openings and said openings of the lower chamber 8 are closed by removable screw-threaded plugs 10, and the left hand one of said openings of the upper chamber 7 is likewise closed by a plug 11 while within the right hand one of said openings of said upper chamber 7 is screwed one end of an elbow fitting 12, as shown in Fig. 1.

In each of the opposite end portions of both the chambers 7 and 8 the cylindrical wall thereof is provided with an inwardly projecting annular flange 13, and within each of said flanges 18 is fitted, in the manner shown, a tripod, as tripods 1%, each of which tripods let is provided with a hub portion disposed concentrically with the flange 13, and extending through and between the hubs of the tripods 14; of the lower chamber 8 is a metal rod 15 which is secured by nuts 16, one on each end thereof, thereby rigidly fastening such tripods in their positions. Adjacent to the inner face of the tripod it on each end portion of the rod 15 is disposed a flanged sleeve 17, of insulating material, upon which is mounted a metal flanged collar 18, as more clearly illustrated by an enlarged fragmentary view in Fig. 2, and within the flange of each of such oppositely disposed collars 18 is soldered one of the metal coated opposite end portions of a heating element 19 made of carbon in the form of a tube whose interior diameter is greater than the diameter of the rod 15 which is concentrically disposed therewithin thus to prevent electrical contact between said heating element 19 and said rod 15. The carbon tube of the heating element 19 is provided with a plurality of openings 20 extending through its wall, which serve to permit a circulation of fluid through its interior space, and midway between the collars 18 a portion of the exterior surface ofsaid tubeis metal coated and on such metal coated portion is soldered a metal collar 21 Each of the collars 18 and the collar 21 is provided with a binding screw, as binding screws 22, beneath the head of which may be secured the terminal of an electrical coir ductor. The tripods 14: in the upper chamber 7' likewise serve to support a heating element 23 which together with its associated parts corresponds exactly with the heating element 19 and its associated parts in the lower chamber 8, there being two end collars 2e which correspond to the collars 18 antha middle collar 25 which corresponds to the collar 21.

Extending from the exterior of the structure through the elbow 12 are live insulated conducting wires 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30,.the wire 26 leading to and connecting with the right hand collar 18 in the lower chamber 8, while the wire 27 leads to and connects with the right hand collar 24: in the upper chainber'7,ithe left hand collar2 landthe left hand collar 18 being electrically connected together by a conducting wire 31, whereby when said conducting wires 26 and 27 only are connected with a source of electric current, not shown, then such current willtrave rse both the heating elements 19. and 23 in series with the wire 31. The wire 29 leads to and connects with the collar 25 in the upper chamber 7 while the wire 28 leadsto and connects with the collar 21 in the lower chamber 8, whereby if said wires 28 and 29 only are connected with a source of electric current, thenfsuch current will traverse only the left hand half portions of the heating elements 19 and 23 in series with said conducting wire 31. The 'wire 30 leads to the left hand collar 24 in the upper chamber 7, which collar 24 is "connected directly with the left hand collar 18. in th'e lower chamber 8, by means ofthe wire 31, and, therefore,if the wire 30 be connected to one terminal of a source of electricity, while the wires 26 and 27 are both connected to the other terminal of said source of electricity, then current would flow through both heating elements 19 and 23 in parallel with each other instead of in series with each other. If the wire 30 be connected with one terminal of a source of electricity and only the wire 27 be connected with the other terminal thereof, then currentwould flow only through the heating would flow only through the heating element 19. Othertranspositions of the wires 26, 27,

.28, 29 and 30 with respect to the terminals through'the elbow 10 is fixed a disk 32 of insulating material that is impervious to hot oil, as, for instance, vulcanized wood fiber coated with gum shellac, and such disk 32 is provided with a hole through which extend the insulated wires 26, 27, 28, 29, and' 30,which wires are bunched together compactly to fill and close said hole, whilethe outer end of said passageway through said elbow 12 is provided with a plug33,- preferably of insulating material, as hard wood or vulcanized wood fiber, which plug. 33 is also provided with a hole through which said wires 26, 27, 28, 29. and 30 are extended in a bunched form closely to inland close such hole; and the space'beti'veen said disk 32 and said plug 33 within said elbow 12: is filled with gum shellac to embed and seal thereinis'aid wires'26, 27, 28, 29 and 30, thus to make it impossible for the; escape of fluid through saidelbow 12.

In order to obviate any possible leakage of fluid from the container 6 by reason of imperfectly joined surfaces of the component parts thereof, the entire inside surfaceof such container 6 is coated with gum shellac (not shown) which coating I have found by actual experiment may be subjected to continuous contact with hot oil without decreasing its efficiency as a preventive of leaks of oil through joints which areprotected by such gum shellac.

In its operative condition the container 6 is supplied with a suflicient amount of oil to'fillv all of the space within it that extends below the heating element 23 of the'upper chamber 7, the space above the surfacefof such oil serving to permit the oil to expand when heated by the heating elements 19 and 23, which heating elements being of carbon and offeringconsiderable, resistance to the passage of electricity, will be heated in response to the flow of sufficient electric current therethrough, which current may be supplied through the wires 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30 when, said Wires are connected with a source of electricity, and the oil thus h'eated will imp'a'rtits heat to'the metal wall of the container 6 which then will radiate its heat to warm the surrounding atmosphere in an obvious manner.

In Fig. 4:, by a fragmentarv View, I have shown a modified form of heating element comprising a rod 3% of carbon which corresponds infunction to the carbon tubes of the heating elements 19 and 23 of Fig. 1, and

which rod 34 may be substituted for said carbon tubes in an obvious manner.

In Fig. 5, by a view in cross-section, I have shown" another carbon rod 35 whose crosssection is shaped like a cross to give it a great area of surfacein proportion to its mass, and which may serve 'as a: heating element in place of the heating elements 19 and 23 of Fig. 1.-

In practice I remove the insulating covering from those portions of the conducting wires 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30 which are to be embedded within the gum shellac disposed in the elbow 12 between the disk 32 and the plug 33 and I separate such portions each from the others. Thus with such bare portions of said wires-so embedded in the gum shellac there will be no fibrous material through which oil may escape from the container 6 by capillary attraction.

Of course, the container 6 may be constructed of pressed sheet metal, in a well known manner, instead of being made of cast iron, and metal heating elements may be substituted for the heating elements 19 and 23.

Manifestly, other changes may be made in the forms, dimensions and arrangement of parts of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof.

What I claim is:

1. A radiator of the class described, which embodies a hermetically closed metal container within which is a body of oil; an electrical heating element comprising a carbon tube disposed within said container and electrically insulated therefrom, said tube having a plurality of holes extending through its side walls and being submerged in said body of oil; and insulated electric conduct- 1ng wires electrically connected each with a different end of said carbon tube and extending to the exterior of said container through a sealed passageway formed in a wall of said container.

2., A radiator of the class described, which embodies a hermetically closed metal container within which is a body of oil; a plurality of electrical heating elements comprising carbon tubes disposed within said container and electrically insulated therefrom, each of said tubes having a plurality of holes extending through its side walls; and a plurality of insulated electric conducting wires electrically connected with said carbon tubes each at a different point thereof, and dis posed to extend therefrom to the exterior of said container through a sealed passageway formed in the wall of said container.

3. A radiator of the class described, which embodies a closed metal container whose joined parts are hermetically sealed by gum shellac; a body of oil disposed within said container; an electrical heating element comprising a rod of carbon disposed within said container and electrically insulated therefrom, said rod of carbon being submerged in said body of oil; insulated electric conducting wires electrically connected each at a different point on said heating element and disposed to extend therefrom to the exterior ofsaid container through a passageway formed in a wall of said container; and a body'ofgum shellac disposed in said passageway to fill the space around said conducting wires therein thus to seal said passageway to be fluid tight.

4. A radiator of the class described, which embodies a metal container, within which is disposed a circulating medium that is a nonconductor of electricity; an electrical heating element disposed within said container and electrically insulated therefrom; and electric conducting wires connected each at a different point on said heating elements to extend therefrom to the exterior of said container through a sealed passageway formed in a wall of said container.

5. A radiator of the class described, which embodies a metal container, said container having a cylindrically formed chamber in the lower portion thereof; a heating element adapted to be heated in response to the flow of a current of electricity therethrough and disposed within said cylindrically formed chamber; a metal fitting disposed with one of its ends through a wall of said container; a perforated disk of insulating material securely fixed within the inner end of said fi ting; a bushing securelyfixed in the outer end of said fitting; electrical conducting wires connected each at a different point with said heating element to extend therefrom to the exterior of said container through said disk, said fitting and said bushing; and a body of gum shellac disposed within said fitting to fill the space between said disk and said bushing thereby to embed said wires therein.

6. A radiator of the class described, which embodies a metal container within which is a body of oil; an electrical heating element comprising a carbon tube disposed within said container and electrically insulated therefrom, said tube having a plurality of holes extending through its side walls and being submerged in said body of oil; and insulated electric conducting wires electrically connected each with a different end of said carbon tube and extending to the exterior of said container through a sealed passageway formed in a wall of said container.

7. A radiator of the class described, which embodies a metal container within which is a body of oil; a plurality of electrical heating elements comprising carbon tubes disposed within said container and electrically insulated therefrom, each of said tubes having a plurality of holes extending through its side walls; and a plurality of insulated electric conducting'wires electrically connected with my name this 29th day of September A. D., sa1d carbon tubes each at a dlfl'erent polnt 1915. s r thereof, and disposed to extend therefrom v HILIP APE to the exterlor of sald contalner through a Y EL 7 5 sealed passageway formed 1n the Wall of said \Vltnesses:

c0nta1ner.. v .7 FRANK WARREN,

1n wltness whereof, I, hereunto subscribe A HASKINS. Copies of this patent may he obtained ifor fine cents each, by addressin the Commissioner of Patents, 1 1 Washington, D. C. v 

